Grand View Park (Daguan Park)

This lovely park at the north-eastern tip of Dian Chi is the best place to check out the famous lake if you’re short on time. And the park is impressive in its own right. The grounds of Grand View Park feature numerous ponds, stone bridges, ornate corridors and flower gardens, not to mention a good stretch of shoreline along Dian Chi. The area was first developed as a park back in 1690 and it has been expanded over the centuries.

The park takes its name from the Grand View Tower. This square-shaped, three-storey pavilion is famous throughout China because its southern wall is adorned with a 180 character poem by Sun Renwang which extols the beauty of Kunming’s natural scenery and reviews Yunnan’s history. You can climb up to the top level of the tower for an additional ¥2 and enjoy wonderful, unhindered views of Dian Chi and the Western Mountains (at least when the sky isn’t smoggy).

Admission: ¥10. Open: 7:00-20:00 (summer); 7:00-19:00 (winter)

Directions: About 4km south-west of the city center, a taxi to Grand View Park should only be ¥10-15. Alternatively, you can take Bus #4 from Jinbi Square.